“ no one ever asks the ocean to quiet her storm, so why do you keep apologizing for yours? ”
loreley ianthe hampton
(ALSO KNOWN AS PRINCESS LORELEY)
age: 26
pronouns: she/her
sexuality: pansexual
occupation: princess of the atlantic ocean
species: mermaid
faceclaim: rachel matthews
no tw below the cut somehow?? kinda alcohol tw and general grossness toward women tw but maybe not
Underwater, image was everything to the Hampton family. Loreley was no exception to that. For as long as she could remember, it had been drilled into her head to put her best foot forward both publicly and privately. There was no room for error or imperfection; not when so many eyes were on them. The middle child and only daughter, pressure came down on Loreley in a special way—her looks were held to a standard so much higher than her brothers’ by their overbearing mother. She’d learned the art of makeup and how to perfectly style her hair young. She rose before the sun every morning, spent hours on it all and never left her bedroom unprepared. Her looks were the closest thing she had to armour. Prim and proper and put together, it had been years since anyone had seen her with so much as a hair out of place.
If Loreley’s looks were her shield, her words and her silence were her weapons. Sharp-tongued and quick-witted, snappy comebacks were always within reach when she was young, usually swiftly followed up by a rebuke from her parents or her older brother, Thatcher. She was best seen and not heard, nothing more than a decoration. The decorum required of a royal was hammered into her head over and over; locking up any shred of personality around her family was the only thing she could do. It still managed to escape at the worst time, a snide comment or harsh look here and there was enough to draw all eyes to her in the worst possible way. Every time, she felt obligated to strive further and try harder to shove herself into the expected mold that her older brother fit and her younger brother shunned so easily.
For the most part, the world above water was a mystery to her, a curiosity to be watched from a distance. She’d listen to stories eagerly, dream of visiting and escaping from the mess her family had become behind closed doors: the alcohol, the affairs, and all the rest of it. Her one act of rebellion, sneaking up to the college in Bellport and taking business classes—the closest she’d be able to come to a college education—had nearly ended in disaster when she’d been caught by Thatcher just a few credits shy of the degree and forced to drop out. Nowhere was safe underwater; there was always someone watching. Even on land, she’d never quite been able to shake the feeling that she needed to keep up the façade of perfection.
When Liddell had suddenly shown up, Loreley had no doubts what he parents were up to. It wasn’t the first time they’d tried to shove the two of them together—as Thatcher’s best friend and the son of their parents richest friends, she had no doubt it would be looked at as a match made in heaven. Money was integral to their image; rich in-laws would bring a new influx of cash that would be sure to keep their family going for a couple more generations. Loreley was sure Liddell had no opposition, not if he would get her in the deal. The thought made her skin crawl. Overhearing the conversation about checking in on Miles was the perfect opportunity to get away—so what if she’d had to barge into the room to offer her services? Anything to get as far away from her family as possible and put off what they clearly saw as the inevitable. Maybe while she was in Bellport, she’d be able to find a way to put an end to whatever her parents were planning for her, once and for all.